


What Was Sown Among Thorns

by Soulwithlife



Category: RWBY
Genre: Action, Banter, Comedic Dialogue, Crack Pairing, Domestic Violence (Mentioned), Drama, F/M, Fantastic Racism, Gen, Mystery, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-09
Updated: 2018-07-22
Packaged: 2018-08-07 09:10:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7709254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soulwithlife/pseuds/Soulwithlife
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Be it in history class or out in the lunch hall, it was hard to recall when Blake and Cardin <em>weren't</em> at each other's throats. But, when circumstances change, and it becomes clear that someone wants them both arrested on false charges, the two are thrust together as they try to clear their names, as well as learn to tolerate each other's company. Perhaps, when all is said and done, what was sown among thorns may not be so doomed after all...</p><p>[Set after Volume One but before Volume Two and Three. Crack pairing fic. TW for fantastical racism and mentions of domestic abuse.]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Strange Bedfellows

**Author's Note:**

> So, you might be wondering...why Blake/Cardin, of all ships? Like, seriously, how could that possibly work in a fic, much less canon?
> 
> Well, see, that's where you're absolutely right; this is what I came up with when I wondered 'what RWBY pairing would be the hardest for me to write well, in a way that's a legit romance?'. I'm pretty certain this is the only fic currently in existence that focuses on this ship, so this is going to be an adventure for me as much as it will be for anyone who dares read it.
> 
> Oh, and before you ask, no, this isn't my OTP or anything, as while I'm a multi-shipper at heart, this isn't something I would've come up with if I wasn't trying to challenge myself : P . That said, if I miraculously convert someone over to this godforsaken ship in the process (including me?), I'll consider that a mission success.
> 
> Anyway, I think I've rambled enough. On to chapter one!

_Come to the main Beacon courtyard, 1 o’clock, and come alone, unless you want your secret out._

Thick grey clouds obscured the sun as Blake walked through the outskirts of Beacon, weapon ready and eyes peeled for any and all dangers. A shame, too, as while the overcast sky was a dark omen for what was to come, the temperature was cool, just low enough to be comfortable without being cold. A nice day for a walk—or a fight, if it came to that.

_Come alone…_

It was a standard blackmail tactic, she knew that. She _also_ knew that the way it was worded, it was likely the sender didn’t have anything on her. But, when just a week before you ran away from your team, afraid that your previous affiliation with the White Fang would scare them off forever, you couldn’t afford to take chances. The only question was…why Cardin? How did _he_ figure it out?

“Well hello there, Blake!”

As she stepped past one of Beacon’s many bushes, the main courtyard came into view, and with it, the man of the hour, Cardin Winchester. Strangely, what she _didn’t_ see was the rest of CRDL, which she thought was a given by this point. What, were they all on their day off or something?

“You know, it’s rude to stare.”

Blake barely resisted the urge to lash out as that smug smile spread across his face, but she reluctantly holstered her weapon as she scanned the area, looking for any signs of an ambush.

 _And there's nothing—at least, nothing I can see. Hardly a comforting thought._ _  
_

“Fine,” she spat out, crossing her arms. “What, _exactly_ , do you want?”

“So you got the message, huh?" he said, cracking his knuckles. "Good, that’ll make things simpler.”

Blake rolled her eyes. “Just get to the point!”

“Hmph, no need to be like that!" Cardin shot back, frowning threateningly. "Really, I’m doing you a favour. If I’d gone straight to Ozpin or, hell, even the cops, you'd be in some deep shit. _I’m_ giving you a chance to prove yourself first.”

Blake narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

_He's bluffing…which begs the question, why did he try and lure me here? What does he stand to gain?_

“And how exactly would I do that?” she asked, a hint of steel in her voice.

Cardin grinned. “Oh, wouldn’t _you_ like to know?”

There was only the slightest of flickers as Blake switched places with her shadow, depositing her right behind Cardin. She put her sword to his neck, positioned just short of his aura kicking in.

“Cut the bullshit, Cardin," she growled. "We both know you've got nothing on me."

“I, uh, have no idea what you’re talking about!” Cardin sputtered, his confidence fading with Blake’s sword so close. “And besides, even if this _was_ a scam, I’m sure Ozpin wouldn’t be happy seeing you like this."

Blake spared a glance to her surroundings, but like before, the place was deserted. Given the time, they were probably in the mess hall.

_That said, he’s got a point—if one of the teachers walked by, I’d be in serious trouble, and the questions raised would give Cardin his blackmail.  
_

Blake bit her lip, slowly lowering the blade before darting back. Cardin turned around, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah, you sure are innocent, huh? Putting a sword to my neck and all," he said, shaking his head. "What makes you so sure I'm bluffing?"

“Because your ego's worse than Port’s—if you had dirt on me, you’d have rubbed it in my face by now.” Blake paused, grimacing. “And, if that’s _really_ the case, what’s the reason you brought me here? Are your cronies going to beat me up?”

Cardin grinned. “I don’t know, Blake, are they?”

Another glance around. It seemed different this time, but…no, it was probably nothing.

“If this is some kind of trick, then you need to work on your acting skills,” she said. “And besides, even if your team _was_ here, you have all the intimidation factor of a paraplegic bunny.”

Cardin reached for his mace. “Why you little—”

“Excuse me, students.”

Blake reflexively shadow dodged backwards as two Vale police officers stepped out from behind the bushes, their goofy-looking sunglasses seeming especially out of place on such an overcast day. Taking a deep breath, Blake assured herself that this was probably nothing to worry about as she sheathed her weapon, giving the officers a pleasant smile.

“Uh, good afternoon, sirs," she said, bowing her head. "Is there something we can help with?”

The one on the left, bearing short black hair and a beard, tapped his notepad expectantly.

“VCPD, here on police business," he said, pointing his pen towards Blake. "It's nothing major, but we’ll need the two of you to answer some questions, okay?"

“Wait, both of us?” Cardin asked, a look of abject horror on his face. “But she’s—I mean, it’s not like I’ve done anything, right?”

“Regardless sir, as I said before, we need the two of you to answer some questions,” the officer repeated, frowning slightly. “That is, unless you’d like to get fined for impeding a police investigation?”

“Uh, no, I’ll answer whatever, it’s fine!” Cardin answered nervously, sending Blake a taut scowl.

“And you, miss?" the officer continued. "Would it be okay if we asked you some questions?”

“Of course, I'd be happy to help,” Blake replied, trying to sound as casual as she could while the officer prepared to note some things down. His friend, meanwhile, didn’t seem to pay much attention, looking back towards Beacon’s gate as if he was waiting for something.

_There's something off about all this..._

“So, let’s start off simple," the officer said, scribbling away. "Have either of you heard of the White Fang?”

Blake knew a good answer would take a little time to cook up, so it was fortunate that Cardin so happily beat her to the punch.

“Ha, who _hasn’t_ heard of those lunatics?" Cardin said, scowling. "Burning shops, busting legs of ordinary folk just ‘cause they don’t care for the Faunus…you ask me, jailing the lot would be too good for 'em."

Blake’s knuckles turned white, but under the policeman’s stern gaze, she remained calm, taking a deep breath before giving her answer.

“They’re a…terrorist group,” she said slowly. “They fight for Faunus rights by any means necessary, even if that means hurting people. That’s all I know.”

“As much as anyone else, then,” the officer observed, pressing down on a full stop. “Next, a more pressing question: have either of you seen any White Fang wandering Beacon’s grounds?”

“I bet half the Faunus in this school are with those assholes, but if you’re talking confirmed? No, I haven’t seen anything,” Cardin admitted grudgingly. “What, you think they’ve been sizing us up?”

“Perhaps," was his curt reply. "Now, how about you, miss? Have you seen any suspicious individuals that could be from the White Fang?”

Blake cast her mind back. Apart from the incident with Torchwick a little while ago, she’d seen hide nor hair of the White Fang, in Beacon or elsewhere. Hell, if she didn’t know any better, she might have thought they’d been hiding from her. Either way, the answer was clear.

“Nothing,” she said truthfully, shuffling in place. “The only people I’ve seen on the grounds are students, teachers and the occasional law enforcement—no White Fang, whatever they would look like.”

“They usually wear Grimm masks to hide their faces, but maybe you two wouldn’t know that,” he said, a slightly dubious note in his voice. “In any case, this is the last question, and after that, you’ll be free to leave.”

“Then go ahead! I’ve got nothing to hide,” Cardin boasted, bringing his arms to the back of his head.

“Well, if that’s really the case—”

“Could we have a look at your scrolls?”

This time, it was the second officer speaking, and with the authority in his voice, there was no room to refuse. After sharing a quick glance, Cardin and Blake complied, reaching into their pockets and quickly producing their scrolls. The officers took a scroll each, popping them open and parsing curiously through their contents.

A minute passed. Blake and Cardin continued to share glances, both of them increasingly worried as the officers remained silent. In fact, even though she _knew_ there was nothing incriminating on her scroll, Blake started to shake, and it took all of her willpower to make it as subtle as possible. For one, the officers might take it as admittance of guilt, and two, Cardin seeing her afraid of the police was hardly ideal.

Finally, the officers nodded, closing up the scrolls.

“We’ll be keeping a hold of these for the time being,” the first officer announced.

“What? Hey, you can’t do that!” Cardin complained, squaring up to the officer on his side. “I’ve done nothing wrong, so give it back!”

The officer didn't flinch. “Your scroll’s contents say otherwise.”

“W-what?" Cardin said, his anger turning to disbelief. "What are you talking about?!”

“This scroll contains battle plans for the White Fang; schematics, locations of leaders, and also much information on Beacon’s defences," he said, shaking his head. "Pretty suspicious for an ordinary Beacon student, don’t you think?”

“What? You’re joking, right? If anyone supports the White Fang, it’s _her!”_ Cardin yelled, pointing to Blake. “She’s the one who always sticks up for the Faunus in class, and that bow looks a bit too close to Faunus cosplay to me! Arrest _her_!”

“The information was on her scroll as well, so yes, we’re bringing you both in on suspicion of terrorist affiliation."

Cardin reached for his weapon, but the officers were only too happy to respond in kind.

“Unless you’d like to test out aura-piercing bullets, we suggest you stand down,” the first officer insisted, his pistol almost jet black with the darkened sky. “After all, resisting arrest would only hurt your chances in a court of—EURGH!”

With no time to react, the officer dropped to the ground as Blake’s shadow bludgeoned him from behind. His partner drew his pistol, but by the time he fired, Blake had already switched with her clone once more, swatting the gun from his hand before swiftly beating him down, knocking him out cold.

_Right, and by the now, the other one’ll be…up?_

Blake’s gaze was set in confusion as she saw Cardin standing over the first police officer, mace in hand and foot sternly on the officer’s back.

“What, you thought I’d let _you_ do all the work?” he asked, rolling the officer over with his foot and revealing that he too was out cold. “I don’t know about you, but I didn’t go to Beacon just to let some Faunus lover take all the glory.”

“What glory?" Blake asked incredulously, waving her sword. "We just attacked police officers! We need to get out of here!”

“And do what? If this is a set-up, they’ve already got what they want—if we head to Vale, we’ll just end up in the slammer.”

She frowned. “So why help me fight?”

Cardin shrugged. “What, you telling me you don’t have a plan?”

“Well—”

“Then spill the beans already, dumbass!" he interrupted, clenching his fist. "Like you said, it’s not like we can stick around, right? More cops’ll show up eventually.”

Blake paused to think as she sheathed her weapon, retrieving the scrolls as she did so.

“I’ve never heard of someone hacking a scroll before, especially remotely, since the security software is ridiculously thorough," she said, biting her lip. "Ergo, if someone _has_ hacked the scrolls, and now they can put whatever info they want on whatever scroll, then there’s got to be someone behind it, a hacker at the very least.”

“And through the hacker, we'll find the rest,” Cardin said, nodding. “But still, even if we find all that, there’s no guarantee we can clear our names, right? Hell, they might just take us in for attacking the cops.”

“Maybe, but if we can find the hacker, we might be able to trade them in for a clean record—dust knows we need one right now.”

Cardin grinned. “So this is how’s it’s gonna be, huh? Cardin and Blake, off on an adventure in Vale?”

His smile faded in an instant. “Well don’t get too comfy, ‘cause I almost think _you’re_ behind all of this crap.”

Blake stood back up, giving Cardin a withering look. “Really? And how would _I_ be behind it?”

“You always came off like a White Fang sympathiser, and when I sent you that message, I bet you sent a virus right back that put all those files on my scroll,” he theorised, narrowing his eyes.

“Oh come on, that’s a reach even for _you_!" Blake said, rolling her eyes. "If I really wanted you kicked out, why would I incriminate myself? That, and if anyone thought you were a ‘Faunus sympathiser’ then they’re even dumber than you are!”

“Hmph, well however you put it, it’s _still_ suspicious,” he insisted. “But whatever, I’ll pretend to believe you for now. What’s the plan for getting out of here?”

“Well, the quickest way is by air, but…” Blake trailed off, shaking her head. “No, that won’t work. The way they acted, the police must have already known we had those files, probably from a tip-off…and if that’s true, they would’ve brought extra officers to come by in case something went wrong.”

Blake looked to the main gates, biting her lip. “So…that just leaves the docks. Most people go by air, so the police might not have considered it, and one of the captains there owes me a favour. In other words, if we want to get out while avoiding notice, that’s our best shot.”

Cardin hummed. “And you’re sure this’ll work?”

“No, but what other choice do we have?”

Cardin hefted his mace over his shoulder. “Fine, guess we’ll go with your plan…for now, anyway.”

“Then that’s good enough for me.”

Blake almost set off immediately for the docks, but she paused for a moment, glancing back to Cardin. “By the way, if you’re following behind, keep a look out for cops, okay?”

“Wow, really? Got any more obvious instructions, Your Highness, or are we good to go?”

Blake smirked. “Sorry, Cardin, just don’t want to overestimate your intellect…you know, assuming you know what that word means.”

And with that, Blake shadowed away, blinking from bush to bush as she cautiously advanced, always on the lookout. Cardin sheathed his mace, putting a hand to his forehead.

“Ugh, this is gonna be my whole week, isn’t it?”

* * *

Things were tense all the way to the docks, an atmosphere which persisted on the ship. For Blake, it was the thought that, at any moment, police could be swarming Beacon, desperately looking for traitors to the White Fang. The irony was thick.

“Now I get why no one rides these things.”

It wasn’t an especially large boat, and with the way it softly bobbed along Vale's river, not a particularly fast one, either. Still, through sheer dumb luck perhaps, she had managed to avoid Cardin for a good ten minutes, which was a few hours short of what she was hoping for.

“They’re not fast, but they’re quieter and less conspicuous than a Bullhead,” Blake replied, leaning off the starboard bow. “That, and like I said before, the cops were probably swarming around the air terminals. What, are you really in a—”

Blake blinked in surprise as she turned her head, noticing a distinct green shade to Cardin’s complexion.

“Don’t even think about it,” Cardin warned, his breathing shallow.

“ _You’re_ seasick? As in, you're not faking it?”

“ _Yes,_ dumbass, I’m seasick. You happy?” Cardin bit back, electing to keep a fair distance away from Blake.

She hummed. “And you’d get annoyed if I said ‘yes’?”

“Annoyed, but not surprised," he said, running a hand through his hair. "It’s pretty clear you hate my guts.”

Blake frowned. “Can you blame me?”

Cardin leaned back on the bow, looking up to the now clear sky.

“I’d love to say yes, but no, not really,” he admitted. “I think the Faunus are lazy, arrogant tools, and you don’t—makes sense I’d grind your gears.”

Blake gritted her teeth. “You’re doing it on purpose, aren’t you?”

“What, saying what I think?”

“No, deliberately putting it in the worst way possible!" she snapped. "Do you _want_ me to push you overboard?”

“With those weedy arms?" Cardin said, raising an eyebrow. "Dream on.”

Blake looked around the confines of the boat, sighing in frustration.

“There’s not enough room here, and I’d prefer not to mess up the captain’s pride and joy,” she said, turning back to the river. “Besides, that armour would make you sink like a stone, and I don’t hate you enough to want you dead. Not yet, anyway.”

Cardin chuckled. “So that’s where we stand, huh? Great, I always wanted to travel with a girl who just barely didn’t want to murder me.”

“And if you don't shape up your act, you’d better get used to it—unless we get _really_ lucky, we could be together for a while.” She paused, watching the water pass by. “That said, if you’re still an arrogant moron in a couple of days, I might knock you out and leave you in a bar somewhere, save myself the trouble.”

“Yeah, and then I’ll go straight to the cops with the hot scoop," Cardin bit back, crossing his arms. "Trust me, Blake, you _need_ me.”

“Pfft, I need _you_ like I need a kick in the face.”

Cardin grinned. “It _would_ bring you down a few notches…”

She snarled. “Dust, you’re insufferable.”

“Feeling’s mutual, cat.”

Blake’s head whipped around. “What did you just call me?”

Cardin wiggled his index fingers above his head. “Your bow, it looks like cat ears,” he said, like he was explaining it to a toddler. “Besides, if you’re going to defend the Faunus so much, I might as well pretend you _are_ one, right?”

“And if _you’re_ a model human, I’d take it as a compliment.”

“Then it works for both of us, doesn’t it?” Cardin asked, his jerkish grin not quite as effective while seasick. “I get to insult you, and you get to not care about it. It’s great.”

Blake sighed wearily. “Whatever. Just remember that when I say ‘asshole’ or ‘dumbass’, I’m talking to you.”

“Yeah, yeah. I'm used to that much."

Cardin paused as another bout of seasickness came on, but while he leaned quite intently over the side, he didn’t _quite_ throw up. Perhaps to distract himself, he decided to bother Blake some more.

“So why’d you think they set us up, anyway?” he asked.

Blake frowned. “How should _I_ know?”

“Since you were so quick to attack the officers when they put you in a corner, I figure you've at least got a _theory_. So spill.”

Blake grimaced. As much as he was an exasperating idiot most of the time, Cardin clearly suspected something was up, just maybe not enough to automatically think she was in the White Fang, or even a Faunus, for that matter. That said, even if she were to tell him, she wasn’t sure there was much connection between the White Fang and this hack—after all, what did they gain from locking away one of their former members? Why not just kill her?

“I’m not sure,” Blake said, which was at least somewhat true. “I’ve had run-ins with police in the past—which is why I got spooked when they tried to arrest us—but I don’t think the two are connected.”

“Oh yeah? Seems pretty straightforward to me.”

“Then if it’s so straightforward, how come _you_ were framed?" Blake asked, standing back upright. "Don’t tell me you’re the son of a mob boss or something.”

“Pfft, what? Where’d you get that, some cheesy gangster movie?”

“I don’t watch movies, I read books.”

“Yeah, figures," said Cardin, looking back Blake's way. "And no, I’m not the son of a mob boss, though this isn’t the first time I’ve talked with the cops. That’d be…”

Cardin trailed off, an odd expression on his face.

“That’d be what?” Blake asked.

“Not important,” he insisted, shaking his head. “Just like _your_ past, apparently. Hell, if we can go this whole adventure without spilling our guts, I'll die a happy man."

“Works for me," said Blake, "but there is one more thing."

Cardin took in a shallow breath. “Yeah?”

“Why the _hell_ were you trying to blackmail me?!”

Cardin back-pedalled rapidly as Blake stepped forward, her feline eyes giving off the glare of a jaguar. He gulped.

“L-look, it was a good deal, alright?" he said, raising his hands defensively. "I was out in Vale one night and some guy came up to me, offered a bunch of Lien just to send a stupid text and meet up with you! It’s not like I was _actually_ gonna blackmail you!”

“What, and you didn’t think this was a _tiny_ bit suspicious?”

“Well _duh_ , of course I did, I just thought it wouldn't affect _me._ "

Blake shook her head. “Typical, always thinking of yourself.”

“Hey, it’s not like I knew _this_ would happen!" Cardin said, crossing his arms. "I just thought it was some stupid prank or something, you know?"

“But that’s…eurgh!" Blake said, reluctantly putting aside her prepared insults. "What did he look like?”

Cardin blinked. “What?”

“You talked to ‘some guy’," Blake said, closing the space between her and Cardin. "What. Did. He. Look. Like?”

Cardin held a finger up. “Gimme a minute.”

Blake facepalmed as Cardin noisily retched off the side of the boat, though she had to admit, he _did_ look better when he finally came back up.

“Ugh, okay," Cardin said, hand to his stomach. "The guy looked about our age, maybe a bit older, and he was greyer than those ancient films on the vods. Hell, even his spiky hair was grey!”

“Anything else? A name, maybe?”

Cardin hummed. “He didn’t give one, but I heard his friend call him ‘Merc’ or something.”

Blake thought for a moment. She didn’t have an encyclopaedic knowledge of White Fang members or anything, but unless they’d had a major change in leadership, this guy wasn’t part of the top brass. That said, with Roman Torchwick on their side now, she supposed anything was possible.

“He was a human, by the way.”

“Oh, don’t worry, I figured that one out," Blake said, rolling her eyes. "If he was a Faunus, your first words would have been, ‘so this dirty scheming Faunus comes up to me…’, or something equally racist.”

Cardin nodded. “That, and I wouldn’t have accepted the deal.”

“Really?"

“Yeah really—you might think I’m just a racist asshole, but I’ll bet the White Fang have a monopoly on the Faunus-offering-shady-deals business, and I’m not gonna be a pawn of those dickweeds.”

Blake crossed her arms. “And if this guy was working for the White Fang anyway?”

"Then I’ll break his legs,” said Cardin, cracking his knuckles.

Despite herself, Blake chuckled. “Talk about a Nora solution to the problem.”

“A what now?”

“Nothing, you wouldn’t understand," said Blake, looking out to the water. "The point is, once we get to Vale, our first priority is figuring out who this ‘Merc’ is and why he wanted you to set this thing up.”

“Clearly he was jealous of my handsome good looks, and your..." Cardin paused, looking Blake up and down. "Well, whatever it is _you_ have.”

Blake gave him a steely look. “Actual fighting talent?”

“I’ve got that in spades, too,” Cardin retorted, flexing his muscles.

“Pfft, you fight like a surly drunk.”

“You _talk_ like a surly drunk."

“And I wish I was one, too. It might make tolerating your verbal diarrhoea slightly easier."

Cardin paused. “Okay, that one was pretty good.”

Blake blinked. "Come again?"

“Yeah, don’t get used to the compliments, you aren’t getting any more.”

Blake turned her attention back to the river. “If they’re anything like the ‘cat’ nickname, I’m more than okay with that.”

“Good, 'cause—” Cardin put a hand to his stomach, eyes bulging. “Okay, not good, not good!”

Blake watched with amusement as Cardin violently threw up over the side, although she _did_ feel a pang of guilt for that this time, which was odd. True, he was still a demonstrable asshole who she could really do without, but there was a certain satisfaction in flinging insults back and forth—he reminded her of Weiss in that respect.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Blake pulled out her scroll, frowning.

“You have _four_ new messages,” the scroll announced.

Blake’s finger hovered over the play icon.

_They must be worried about me, right? That’s why they sent the messages..._

But then, all too quickly, memories of Weiss’ tirade flooded back to her. Hateful comments against the Faunus. Blind criticisms of the White Fang. Disbelief in anything Blake said to defend them.

…

“You have _no_ new messages.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! Or, maybe not again, if you didn't read the starting notes...hm.
> 
> Regardless, I don't entirely know how often this fic will update, since my current focus is on an original novel and not fanfic, and after _that's_ done, I'll probably put most of my time into my Kingdom Hearts/RWBY crossover _To The Heart Seeking Freedom_. That said, this fic is a unique opportunity to test my writing chops, especially my romance ones, so I think the weird premise alone will keep me coming back until this is at least somewhat finished.
> 
> Oh, and that could take quite a few chapters, by the way. What, you think I can make a Blake/Cardin pairing work overnight? In _this_ economy? Please.
> 
> See you next chapter, folks!
> 
> P.S - If you get what the title is referencing, you get a cookie. Not a _big_ cookie, though; it's a very popular work, after all. ; )


	2. The Little Things

_Chugga chugga chugga chugga._

_BOOMF._

At mid-afternoon, midweek and in the middle of basically everything, Vale's dock was particularly busy, and for that, Blake was grateful. True, the police probably had bigger fish to fry than a couple of runaways from Beacon, and with any luck, confirmation of their 'crimes' was still en route. That said, caution was always wise, albeit something she would have to bash into Cardin's head if he didn't take this seriously.

"Smells awful here," he complained. "Like fish, but ten times worse."

"Yeah, it's...really bad," Blake said weakly, trying to stop herself from salivating. "Uh, anyway, bad scents are the least of our worries—the more we stand out in the open, the more likely we are to get caught."

"Then what's our next move?"

Blake adjusted her bow. "We’re getting disguises.”

Blake decided not to thank the captain personally—they preferred to leave favours at favours—so she and Cardin set out from the dock, weaving between dockhands as they tried to escape to the more palatable Commercial District. As she went, Blake noted that the many shipping containers from before were still here in bulk, though given the smell, she suspected these ones were not full of dust.

"Gonna add to that, cat?"

Blake looked back to Cardin. "What's that?"

"You said we're getting disguises, then nothing," he continued, looking around the dock as he walked. "What, are we stealing them?"

"We already have enough heat on our back, so no. We're just...dropping by a friend of mine."

"Someone else who owes you a favour?" Cardin asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, but we're good enough friends that she won't mind me asking anyway," Blake replied. She snapped her fingers. "Oh, and you're staying outside."

"You what?"

"You heard me. Believe it or not, the girl's a Faunus, and I just know you're going to say something offensive if I drag you in with me." She gave him a hard stare. "Probably several somethings."

"Ugh. Couldn't we just go to a normal clothes store?"

"You mean a human one? No," said Blake, stepping back as a dockhand squeezed past, heaving a heavy crate. "At least here, I know she won't rat us out to the cops."

"Unless I laugh at her ears or something, right?"

"Oh no, she'll still help, I'll just break your legs."

Given Blake's expression, Cardin decided this wasn't an idle threat. He cleared his throat. "Okay, fine. What if I promise to be on my best behaviour?"

Blake raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? You don't even know what best behaviour _is_."

"I know what you think it is, and that's good enough," Cardin retorted, once again imitating cat ears above his head.

Blake sighed. "And why should I trust you?”

"Why should I trust _you_ not to run off as soon as I'm out of sight?"

Blake looked down to the ground. "Fine," she said.

"Fine what?"

"Fine you can come in, what did you think I meant?" she snapped. "But for dust's sake, if you use this opportunity to screw me over, I'll—"

"Break my legs, yeah yeah," Cardin said, literally waving off her threat. "Whatever helps you sleep at night, cat."

It may have been a little too long since her last visit, but Blake still knew the exact way to her friend's shop, every shortcut, every turn, every step. That was good, too, since as the sun finally escaped from the clouds, Blake realised just how out in the open they really were, especially considering how oddly quiet the Commercial District was that day. All of a sudden, every shadow she thought she knew held a cop with a gun, around every corner lurked the White Fang, watching her every move through their sinister masks, and having Cardin by her side was more a hindrance than a reassurance. Nevertheless, despite her concerns, the two of them reached their destination without incident—a small, unassuming clothing shop, its home-made sign hanging loose and its windows showing signs of recent repair.

Blake took a deep breath.

"Don't tell me you're nervous."

She shot Cardin an annoyed glare. "I haven't seen her in a while, okay? And besides, look at the shop—even from the outside, it's obvious that bigots must have hit it hard. I'm not even sure she'll be in."

"If not, we might wanna take a better route back—these slums aren't exactly _scenic,"_ Cardin said, wrinkling his nose.

"Oh, shut up."

_KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK._

"Why're you knocking?" asked Cardin, arms crossed. "It's a store, just walk in!"

"We're not normal customers, and the knock lets her know that."

Soft footsteps and the creak of floorboards. Blake's bow twitched. "And remember, best behaviour, got it?"

"Yeah, yeah."

The rough wooden door swung open, revealing a tall, middle-aged Faunus, her brown mouse ears hovering over greying black hair, hardly an uncommon appearance in Vale. Even her outfit would make her difficult to pick out from a crowd—a slim, comfy-looking brown dress, reaching down to her ankles and covered in various stitches and patches. Immediately, she recognised Blake, rushing out the door and wrapping the smaller girl in a tight hug.

"Oh my goodness, it has been _far_ too long since your last visit! I've been worried sick!" the Faunus squeaked, her twinkling brown eyes easily giving away her disposition. "Not that I thought you were in trouble, of course, but you can never be too careful these days."

Still hugging Blake, the Faunus switched her gaze to Cardin, raising an eyebrow.

"Well hello there, sir," she greeted politely. "Would you be a friend of Blake's?"

"Uh...something like that, yeah," he replied awkwardly. "I'd go into it but it's kinda complicated."

"Say no more, say no more," the Faunus said, releasing Blake from her hug. "Although, actually, _you_ need to say more, Blake, like why you're stopping by. Let me guess, not just a friendly visit, hm?"

Blake gave a guilty look, scratching her head. "You got it. Sorry."

"Hey, a friend in need is a friend indeed, are they not?" the Faunus shot back, smiling warmly. "Now come in, come in—whatever your needs, I'll find them easier to fulfil indoors."

She started to turn around, before looking back to Cardin, frowning. "By the way, sir, you _may_ want to be careful on your way in—the door frame’s a bit low, you see."

Like the Faunus herself, the clothes store was a simple, unassuming affair. The floor was wooden planks covered with rugs, but with the soft, autumnal colours dotted around on the various hangers, it almost made the place seem homelier, like a calm shack in the rolling countryside. It was also, to Cardin's disappointment, incredibly clean, perhaps due to the Faunus keeping her cleaning supplies very clearly behind the counter, ready for any and all messes. The only thing that might shatter the facade was a battered bucket beside the cleaning supplies, shards of broken glass poking out of the top.

"Well, here we are: Tawny's Tailoring!" the Faunus announced cheerily, leaning back on her counter. "Oh, that's my name, by the way, 'Tawny'. May I ask yours, young man?"

Cardin switched his gaze from the bucket, frowning. "Cardin Winchester.”

"Then it's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Winchester. So, what seems to be the matter, hm?"

Blake put a hand up before closing the curtains, making sure the door was shut and turning the sign to 'closed'.

"To be honest," she began, turning back, "we're in trouble."

Tawny put a hand to her mouth. "Oh dear, that doesn't sound good. Cops on your tail?"

"If not, they will be soon."

"Then keep the 'for what' to yourself. After all, if they come in here and ask questions, I can't tell them what I don't know, yes?"

Blake grimaced. "I'll pay you back, Tawny."

"You already have by visiting, dear," Tawny replied, clasping her hands. "Now, you're wanting clothes, I take it?"

"Some long, hooded cloaks, if you have them."

Tawny hummed. "It's not the kind of thing I put on display, but I'll look in the back. Wait here a moment, would you?"

Giving a little wave, Tawny disappeared through a door at the far end, her dress almost getting caught on the handle as she went. Once she was truly out of sight, Blake turned to Cardin, who was currently inspecting the bucket behind the counter.

"There's not much here," he observed. "If this was from the window, they probably threw a few rocks, that's it."

Blake crossed her arms. "And let me guess, since it's a Faunus shop, that's totally okay?"

"No, but considering the White Fang's a thing, I'm surprised it still happens."

Blake leaned on the counter. "There's been less of it since they turned violent, sure, but some bigots have more brawn than brains. What, you're telling me you wouldn't?"

Cardin shook his head. "The White Fang are scum, but I'm not stupid enough to get on their bad side. Not this directly, anyway."

"And the bullying at school?"

He shrugged. "That's different."

Blake's eyes narrowed. "Let me guess, sticks and stones?"

Cardin reached into the bucket, his aura flashing as the glass scraped against his skin. Still, after a moment, he pulled out his prize—a slingshot with a rock still loaded.

" _Literal_ sticks and stones, from the looks," he muttered.

“Watcha doin’, mister?”

Cardin nearly kicked the bucket as a small Faunus boy slipped up to the counter, treading with the same light step known the world over by both thieves and mischievous children. The boy snorted grumpily as Blake gave his curly black hair a quick ruffle.

“Blaaaaake, you said you wouldn’t do that anymore!” he whined, crossing his arms.

“Only if you were a good boy, Clarence," she said, bobbing down. " _Have_ you been a good boy?”

“Well of course I have, _duh_! That’s why I’m home early, ‘cause…" He trailed off, frowning in concentration. "'Cause I did so great at school that they sent me home!”

“I’ll believe that when I see it, you little rascal,” Blake said playfully, turning her gaze to Cardin. “Oh, right…this is Clarence, Tawny’s son. Clarence, this is Cardin.”

Blake was more than ready to give Cardin a look full of daggers if he made a wrong move, but apparently he saw that one coming, simply depositing the slingshot back in the bucket before stepping forward.

“Cardin _Winchester_ , that is,” Cardin added, giving Clarence an odd look. “So, you go to school around here?”

“I do, but I wish I didn’t,” Clarence complained, pouting. “None of the teachers care about fighting off Grimm and stuff! They just want us to be, um, ‘productive members of society’ or something. I dunno what that is, but it sounds _super_ boring.”

To Blake’s surprise, Cardin smiled. “Is that right? So you want to be a hunter, is that it?”

“Duh, of course I do!" Clarence said, fists clenched in excitement. "It’s basically like saving the world, right? Why would I care about maths and stuff when I could just do that?”

“It’s not _all_ exciting, kiddo," Cardin said, chuckling. "Hell, kinda feels like we’re learning crap more than we're fighting, and world history is just…it’s seriously bad.”

“What?!" Clarence yelled, aghast. "You have to learn history and stuff? But why?”

“Those who know not their history are doomed to repeat it,” Blake chanted reverently. “That’s how the saying goes, at least, and hunters and huntresses should take that to heart.”

Cardin snorted. “Yeah, well, learning about the great human army falling to a bunch of dumb Fauu...”

Cardin trailed off, suddenly aware of who he was talking to.

“Faaaalling trees!” he substituted, scratching his neck. “Yeah, there was one time where the humans were trapped in a forest and the Grimm kept sending trees down on them. How dumb is that, right?”

“Super dumb!” Clarence confirmed, grinning. “But um, if you know about all that stuff, you must be a hunter too, right? Like Blake?”

“Sure am!” Cardin said proudly, tapping the mace at his side. “Got in on raw ability, not some dumb tests.”

“Wooow! Do you think I could do that too, Blake?”

“ _I_ think you should focus more on your studies than fighting Grimm,” Blake said, shaking her head. “Besides, it works both ways—if you do really well on written tests and manuscripts, you can get in without much combat experience.”

Clarence frowned. “But why would you do that?”

“Because maybe your mum can’t afford combat school, hm?”

Clarence deflated somewhat. “Oh…yeah, I guess you’re right. Maybe I could play music outside until I got enough money?”

“I _think_ you’d need an instrument first," Blake said, smiling. "Along with knowing how to play it.”

“Aw…”

Blake had to physically stop herself from interfering as Cardin put a hand on Clarence’s shoulder. He was behaving fine so far, but this couldn’t possibly end well, could it?

“Just ‘cause your dream’s hard to get, doesn’t mean you have to give up, kiddo,” Cardin said, using his free hand for a thumbs up. “Hunters and huntresses are the best of the best, and if you wanna get into Beacon or whatever, you’ve got to believe in your dream. You got it?”

Clarence looked up in awe. “You really think I could get into Beacon?”

“It’s easier than you’d think these days,” he said, an odd note in his voice. “Point is, no matter what you wanna do, you’ve gotta give it your all. There’s no point doing it otherwise."

“Uh…yeah! Yeah, that makes sense! Thanks, mister!”

 _CLOMP CLOMP CLOMP_.

“Oh, Mr. Winchester, did you—”

Tawny stopped dead as she saw Cardin with a hand on Clarence’s shoulder. “Mr. Winchester...?"

Cardin looked over, puzzled by the fear in her eyes. What was she…?

“Oh, Mum, Mum, you’re here!" Clarence piped up. "Have you met Cardin? He’s totally awesome!”

Tawny breathed a sigh of relief as she stepped into the main shop, closing the back door behind her.

“Yes, yes, he’s…very impressive,” she muttered distractedly, placing two folded pieces of fabric on the counter. “But what _I’d_ like to know is what you’re doing home so early, young man.”

“Oh, um, I did so well in class that I…”

Clarence’s hopeless optimism crumbled under Tawny’s motherly gaze.

“I…got in a fight.”

Tawny sighed. “I had a feeling it was something like that. Are you hurt?”

“Nah Mum, ‘course not! Burg’s the one hurt! I hit him real good and—OW OW OW!”

Cardin raised an eyebrow as Tawny darted across the room, lightly pulling one of Clarence’s mouse ears.

“What was the _one_ thing I told you not to do, Clarence?" she asked, brow furrowed threateningly. "Just _one_ thing. Please, I’d _very much_ like to know!”

“Fight with Burgundy?”

“And what did you do?”

Clarence sheepishly looked to the side. “Fight with Burgundy.”

Tawny released Clarence’s ear, sighing in frustration. “Look, I _know_ it’s hard putting up with him all day, but his mother is the principal of the school! And if they sent you home after a fight with him…”

“He’ll get kicked out?”

Tawny gave Cardin a surprised look.

“W-well, yes, I expect that’s what would happen," she said, running a hand through her hair. "That, and if we applied to another school afterwards, they would likely take that into account. And the cost…”

Cardin grunted. “Why’d you fight him, kid?”

Clarence gulped. “Who, me?”

“Yeah, you. What’s your beef with this Burgundy guy?”

“He’s just a huge jerk! He’s always bullying me and the other Faunus kids, saying stuff about how we’re all poor and we should get out of his school and stuff," Clarence said, crossing his arms. "Then he said stuff about my dad, and…I hit him. Real hard.”

Cardin sent Blake a questioning look. _Later_ , she mouthed.

“Anyways, he totally deserved it!" Clarence continued. "The other kids even cheered me after I did it!”

Cardin stroked his chin. “If this guy’s really that bad, I’m surprised the White Fang haven’t paid him a visit.”

The whole room went silent as the cursed name escaped Cardin’s lips. Clarence fidgeted on the spot.

“They…aren’t the way they used to be, mister,” he said quietly.

“What, you saying they-”

“Cardin!”

Blake drew a finger across her neck. Cardin rolled his eyes.

“Fine, whatever," he said. "What are we gonna do about it?”

Blake blinked. “We?”

“You three then, I dunno. What’s the plan?”

Blake paused. “Tawny, is that Faunus-only school still around?”

“Hm? Oh, you mean Saint Indigo’s. Well…” Tawny scratched her cheek. “It _is_ still open, but it’s moved into the fancy part of Residential. From what I heard, there’s a group of rich Faunus there that paid for the move, and now the school has a pretty high fee to get in.”

“And you can’t afford it?”

Tawny looked over to the bucket of broken glass. “No,” she said sadly. “Not now.”

Blake grimaced.

_I wasn’t exactly swimming in Lien last time I checked, and for all I know, they’ll have cut off my bank account anyway. So how…?_

“It’s our problem, Blake.” Tawny smiled sympathetically. “I know you want to help, but there's always times when you can't. You know what I mean, don’t you?”

Blake looked to the floor. “I do, but…I don’t know. It feels wrong.”

“Then that’s the sign of a good conscience, no?” Tawny said, winking. “In any case, Clarence and I will puzzle through, somehow. Who knows, maybe the fight at school won’t end as badly as we think?”

She tapped the fabric on the counter. “And however _that_ goes, I’m still giving you these cloaks. That’s what you wanted, right?”

“But—"

“Ah ah ah! No buts," she said, waggling her finger. "You will pay me back when you can, as you always have, and I have half a mind to think you’ll go above and beyond. For now, just take them and be happy, okay?”

Tawny sent Cardin a dubious look. “And Mr. Winchester, I’m terribly sorry, but this is mostly a Faunus clothing store, so…the cloaks…”

Cardin lifted the larger cloak up, raising an eyebrow. “What? They got tail holes or something?”

“Oh, no, but the head space is quite a bit larger than on human clothing…to make space for ears, yes?” she said, trying to sound apologetic.

He shrugged. “Long as they cover the face, I don’t think it matters.”

As a matter of fact, they _did_ cover the face, and quite handily, too. There _was_ a concern that long, black cloaks might look suspicious, especially during the day, but Cardin assumed Blake knew what she was doing, at least with this.

Or, alternatively, Vale Police Department really _was_ that tragically incompetent.

“Oh, it suits you perfectly, dear!”

Unsurprisingly, Blake’s cloak was a much closer fit, and with the colour of her regular clothes, it almost seemed like it had been made for her. In fact, looking her up and down, Cardin might have called her pretty. Well, almost. And he _definitely_ wasn’t saying that out loud.

“It’ll do,” Cardin said neutrally. “So what now? We heading out?”

Blake put the hood over her head, and bizarrely, didn’t even take her ridiculous bow off first.

“I’m afraid so,” she said, sending Tawny a guilty look. “Are you sure you’ll be alright?”

“Of course, dear." Tawny's brow furrowed. "In fact, if how you’re speaking is any indication, you should really be worrying about yourselves.”

Blake shook her head. “Our problems are a little simpler.”

“Ha, I doubt that somehow!" Tawny clapped her hands together. "In any case, I think it is high time you two be off, before an enterprising customer waltzes in despite the sign. Say goodbye, Clarence.”

Clarence looked over from the back door, his sneaking attempt foiled. “Oh, um…bye Blake! And Cardin, too!”

“We’ll be back, Clarence,” Blake assured him.

“You always are,” he said confidently, giving Cardin an appreciative look. “And thanks for the talk, Mr. Cardin! I bet I’ll be just like you when I grow up!”

To Clarence’s surprise, Cardin started laughing at this comment, at least, before Blake gave him a quick smack.

“Eheh, well," Cardin began, clearing his throat. "Trust me, kid, while I _am_ pretty great, I think you’ve got better sights to aim for, yeah?”

Clarence tilted his head. “If you say so, Cardin!”

“I do. And…Tawny?”

Tawny blinked in surprise. “Um, yes?”

“If you get another window break, there’s a shop in Residential run by a friend of mine, calls itself ‘Moorleaf Glass’. Tell ‘em Cardin sent you, you’ll get a discount.”

“Oh, uh…thank you very much, Mr. Winchester!” she said, bowing her head.

“It’s nothing. Come on, Blake, let’s go.”

“Well…” Blake looked between Cardin and Clarence, now having much to think about. “Alright then. See you soon!”

* * *

“So what the hell was _that_ about?”

It was still far too bright for the cloaks to look anything but suspicious, so after leaving the shop, Blake led them to a deserted back alley. True, anyone looking past would still see they were bad news, but with the shards of glass, bits of litter and various unpleasantries in the alley, the curious passer-by might very well give it a miss.

It was also a good place for a confrontation, which was always a nice bonus.

“What was _what_ about?" Cardin shot back, arms crossed. "I thought I did pretty well, there.”

“Yeah, you did, _too_ well!" Blake poked at his chest. "Since when do _you_ care about the Faunus?”

“I _don’t_ care about ‘the Faunus’, but those two aren’t ‘the Faunus’, are they? They’re just people.”

Blake snorted. “And the other Faunus aren’t?”

Cardin shrugged.

“Ugh," Blake said, turning away. "Could you at _least_ be consistent?”

“Well what was I _supposed_ to do? Kick puppies?”

Blake sputtered. “Okay, _fine_. What about the kid? How come you were so nice to him?”

Cardin scratched his head. “It’s more satisfying to smack people down when you’ve built themselves up.”

“You can’t possibly expect me to believe that.”

Cardin shook his head. “Then if you aren’t gonna believe what I’m saying, why ask me in the first place, huh?”

“Oh, I don’t know, I thought that, just maybe, you’d actually tell the truth for once?”

“You want the truth? Fine," he said, marching up close. "Kids, even Faunus kids, don’t deserve the kind of crap I put out, so I put on my nice face. For the window thing, like I said, my buddy runs it, and every customer I send his way gets _me_ a little Lien. Happy?”

Blake stood her ground. “And?”

“And what?”

“And what was the White Fang thing about?”

Cardin grimaced. “Well…it seems like that kid, Burger or whatever, it was no secret he hated Faunus. If he was really that bad, how come the White Fang hasn’t burned the school down or whatever?”

Blake shook her head. “I don’t think you get how the White Fang works.”

“And how come _you_ do?”

Blake paused. “I…grew up on streets like these, streets with the White Fang. You hear things.”

“Yeah, me too, and what _I_ heard is that the White Fang kicks the shins in of every Faunus hater this side of Remnant. So what gives, huh?”

Blake spread her hands. “I wish I knew for sure. Rumour is, the White Fang are gathering _a lot_ of resources for something, something _big_. Maybe they figure chasing down bigots is less important than whatever else they have planned.”

“And the cops are just letting it happen?”

“What are _they_ going to do? They have to follow all sorts of laws and precautions, while the White Fang can do whatever they want as long as it gets the job done." Blake kicked a broken bottle aside. "Unless someone starts cutting corners, investigating the White Fang won’t get them anywhere.”

Cardin raised an eyebrow. “So you think we can do better?”

“What? Why would _we_ do better? We’re looking for a hacker, not the White Fang.”

“And say the hacker’s _from_ the White Fang, then what?”

Blake bit her lip. “There’s…a few options.”

“I hope one of them isn’t turning ourselves in.”

“Obviously not," Blake said, rolling her eyes. "Should it come to that, there's leads to follow. Trust me."

Cardin looked to the setting sun. “I get the feeling we’re not following ‘em soon, though.”

“No, we need to wait until dark first.”

Cardin sighed. “So what now?”

“What do you think? We wait.”

Cardin nodded, retrieving the scroll from his pocket. “You’ve got games, right?”

“What?”

“You know, video games? On your scroll?”

Blake blinked. “I…didn’t check.”

“There’s one called Worms, 's got multiplayer. See where I’m going with this?”

Blake snorted. “I am _not_ doing that.”

“Fine, suit yourself," Cardin said, eyes focused on his scroll. "Though you never _did_ tell me what was up with that kid's dad."

…

…

…

 _CLICK_.

“The start icon’s on the second page, by the way.”

“Ugh..."


	3. And Carry A Big Stick

With several losses in Worms tucked under her belt, Blake crept through Vale under the cover of night, and Cardin... _tried_ to creep with her. To be fair, when you were as tall as him, you only had so many options. After a few minutes, and with a distinct lack of blaring sirens, the pair made it to a battered back-alley club. Despite the building showing signs of recent damage—empty window frames, chipped concrete and the like—rhythmic thumping echoed out regardless, accompanied by flashing lights and dapper dancers that could be spied through the transparent sliding doors.

Cardin pulled up beside Blake, adjusting his hood. “Is this it?” he asked. “Looks like a shithole.”

“I’ll admit it’s a little less...intact than I remember,” Blake said, crossing her arms. “Still, if the club’s open, he should be here.”

“What is he, a gang boss or something?”

“Among other things. For our purposes, he’s an information broker, and one that owes me a favour.”

Cardin cracked his neck. “We gonna get I.D’d?”

“In a place like this? Hell no.” Blake started forward, keeping a hand close to her sword. “Just promise you won’t get drunk. _Too_ drunk.”

“What? How stupid do you think I…” Cardin trailed off as Blake kept walking. “Actually, don’t answer that.”

Blake kept her eyes peeled as she entered the club, which wasn’t easy with all the flashing lights and dancing bodies. Still, spotting Melanie and Militia proved little trouble, what with their gaudy outfits and constant bored expressions, and with them, her real target: Junior. The bearded man sat at the end of the bar, drinking his worries away under the watchful gaze of his bodyguard twins.

Speaking of, the twins immediately sprang to life at Blake's approach. Although, come to think of it, Cardin’s towering form might have been the real trigger.

“Stop right there,” said Melanie, blocking Blake’s path. “What’s your business with Junior, huh?”

“I bet they’re, like, insurance guys,” said Miltia, looking Cardin up and down. “Or maybe Death? They’ve got the boring cloaks for it.”

“I’m here for information,” said Blake. “Tell your boss that Belladonna wants a word.”

Melanie and Miltia shared a look.

“Belladonna...the girl with tall, dark and moody?” asked Miltia.

“Or a copycat,” said Melanie, sending Blake a wink. “But sure, I’ll let him know, hun.”

Blake waited as the twins returned to their master, whispering in his ear. In the meantime, Cardin leaned close.

“So, how come you got in with these guys?” he muttered.

“Long story,” was Blake’s curt reply.

A pause. “Gonna tell it sometime?”

“No.”

Before Cardin could comment further, Junior knocked back the last of his drink and rose from his seat, walking over to Blake without a hint of unsteadiness.

“Belladonna,” he said, nodding politely. “Sorry about the mess. Had an...incident recently. Where’s your boyfriend?”

“Occupied,” replied Blake, as Cardin reeled at the implications. “I’m here for that favour you promised.”

“I figured. Though…” Junior bobbed down, trying to sneak a peek under her hood. “How do I know it’s the same Belladonna?”

Blake sighed. “I sound the same, don’t I?”

“If I recall, your boyfriend did most of the talking last time, so forgive me if I don’t take that as ‘hard evidence’.”

Blake took a glance around the room. Seemed like everyone was too engaged in debaucherous pursuits to care much for what Junior was doing. Still…

“I’ll take off the hood, but not here,” said Blake. “Do you have a back room?”

Junior’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “I do, but I’m bringing the twins, and your friend stays outside.”

“Fine by me.” Blake turned back to Cardin. “You hear that?”

Cardin grunted. “Should I assume you’re dead after an hour?”

“No, but you might be. Watch yourself.”

“Yeah yeah,” he said, already heading to the bar. “Have fun with your foursome, cat.”

Rolling her eyes, Blake followed Junior and the twins as they led her behind the bar and into a neat, modern office, a rare shelter from the thumping music. The twins jumped down onto a worn leather sofa, while Blake took a co-opted bar stool. Junior, naturally, sat behind the glass desk, resting his elbows atop it as he clasped his hands.

“Well?” he said. “Hood off, Belladonna.”

Double checking that the coast was clear, Blake did as instructed. After getting a good look at her, Junior nodded, while the twins started muttering amongst themselves.

“Barring an illusion Semblance, you seem legit—and if you _do_ have that Semblance, I’m out of my league anyway.” He cleared his throat. “So, information, right?”

“Mm. I heard a rumour going around about someone breaking into scroll security. Any truth to that?”

“Not that I heard,” Junior replied, frowning pensively. “If someone _did_ break in, it’d either be big news, or no one would hear about it.”

“Come again?”

“Think: if you were some top grade hacker who broke into scroll security, would you go bandying that about? No. You’d start hacking the scrolls of top brass and sell the info to the highest bidder. No need to say where you got it from, not if you’re smart and the info’s legit.”

“And the other option?”

Junior leaned back in his seat. “Well, if you _weren’t_ clever about it, you’d reveal how you got your info, and suddenly everyone on scrolls would switch, or at least tighten security. That’s how I figure it, anyway.”

Blake looked down to the floor, frowning. “So you really haven’t heard anything?”

“Nope.” He hummed. “Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s not _happening_ , it just hasn’t passed by me. That all?”

Blake shook her head. “So if _you_ wanted to hack scrolls, where would you start?”

Junior pointed to his chest, raising an eyebrow. “Me? Do I _look_ like a techie?”

“It’s obvious anyway,” said Melanie, crossing her legs. “Scrolls work by region, yeah? You wanna get that tech stuff, you start with the tower thingies.”

“The CCT towers,” Junior muttered, scratching his chin. “Makes sense. Then again, the floors with that kind of control are locked up tight, _and_ the show’s run by Atlas. Anyone messing with those guys has got to be high profile.”

Blake closed her eyes. It was all too easy to point fingers to the White Fang, but they really were the biggest criminal outfit in Vale these days. And if Torchwick was working with them...well. Anything was possible.

“We even, then?”

Blake broke out of her trance, looking up to Junior. “Uh, yeah, we’re even.”

He leaned forward. “Then let me ask _you_ a question: where’d you come across this info anyhow? ‘Cause it sure as hell wasn’t from me.”

“I can’t say,” said Blake. “Though I trust my source, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

“Maybe it was the hunk from downstairs,” suggested Miltia. “New boyfriend, I’ll bet.”

“Uh, no, I don’t think so,” said Blake, the thought of dating Cardin bringing a wave of nausea. “We’re just working together. _Reluctantly_ working together. Come to think of it, I should probably check up on him, make sure he hasn’t stabbed anyone. Or himself.”

“Whatever you say, Belladonna,” said Junior, cracking his neck. “Melanie, Miltia, escort her out.”

“Yeah yeah,” they said in unison, rising to their feet. Blake sent Junior a respectful nod before following the twins, pulling her hood back up as they returned to the main room.

Cardin, as it turned out, was still hanging by the bar, though his chair was turned around, presumably so he could watch the people dancing. Behind him were a few empty shot glasses, but nothing too excessive. Did he actually hold himself back?

That, or he ran out of Lien. Hard to say for sure.

“We’re done here,” said Blake, tapping Cardin on the shoulder. “Let’s get moving.”

Cardin reluctantly tore his gaze away from the dance floor. “Hm? That was quick.”

“I don’t waste time, unlike some people.”

“Not like I had much choice,” said Cardin, standing up with a weary sigh. “But sure, whatever. The music was getting on my nerves, anyway.”

“Come by again,” Melanie said flatly, giving a half-hearted wave. “Or don’t. Whatever.”

Thankfully, their exit was quick and easy, and soon enough they were out in the night air. Blake breathed a sigh of relief.

“Not a fan of clubs, huh?” Cardin asked.

“Loud music, a sweaty crowd and idiots getting drunk? I’ll pass.” She walked on, pulling her hood tight. “You seemed to be enjoying yourself, though.”

“Well yeah, had a nice view of some hot—”

A sharp _ting_ echoed out as something flew from the shadows and collided with Cardin’s aura. Both Cardin and Blake prepared for combat as eight masked Faunus emerged from the shadows, armed with a mix of bats, throwing knives and swords.

“No guns,” whispered Blake as the group crept closer. “They want this quiet.”

Cardin grunted. “They outnumber us.”

“I know.”

“Can we take ‘em?”

Blake rolled her shoulders. “Only one way to find out.”

With club beats still reverberating through the walls, the Faunus launched their attack. Most of them focused Blake, peppering her with throwing knives and forcing her to use her Semblance to dodge. Only one of the Faunus addressed Cardin, but he was the biggest among them, and the bat he wielded looked much like a hunter weapon, sturdy and multi-purposed. Yelling out a war cry, Cardin clashed with the Faunus, bringing his heavy mace to bear as he forced his attacker on the defensive.

Blake wasn’t so lucky. She was no stranger to group combat, but these were no idle goons—all of them had aura of their own, and they attacked in perfect synchronisation. When she wasn’t darting back to a shadow clone, she was forced to block strikes from different directions, only for a throwing knife to come through and put a dent in her aura.

“Blake!” Cardin called out, grunting in pain as the club Faunus got a hit in. “Hang on, I’ve got a plan!”

Before Blake could answer—as if she wasn’t already busy enough trying to block the whole damned world—Cardin’s mace shone with green light as he smashed it into the ground. A shock wave echoed out from the impact zone, knocking several attackers off balance. Blake followed up on the distraction, sending two Faunus smashing into a nearby pillar and the one with the bat sprawling to the floor.

Of course, Cardin followed up this feat of actually being helpful by running back into the club. There was no time to yell insults his way, though, as the remaining attackers soon regained their balance, continuing their unrelenting barrage. Cardin’s exit _did_ draw one of them off—not the one with the bat, he was still struggling to his feet—but that still left her outnumbered and running dangerously low on aura. With barely enough to retain her defences, she could no longer abuse her shadows, and the five fighters remaining took advantage of that every step of the way.

The next thirty seconds seemed to slow down for Blake. Forcing herself to stay calm, she pushed thoughts of Cardin from her mind as she focused all of her energy not just on defending, but attacking. She traded a few slivers of aura for it, but after a surprise switch to her gun mid-combo, two more attackers fell to Gambol Shroud.

 _That leaves three,_ she thought. _Wait, no, there’s—_

Before Blake could react, the Faunus brought his bat down hard on her head, its length wreathed in flame. Blake’s aura dropped.

So did Blake.

_Why didn’t I…?_

In the moments before she went unconscious, her vision began to blur. Even then, she could have sworn she saw two shapes, one red, one white, coming to her aid.

_Ruby? Weiss?_

_…_

_I’m sorry…_

* * *

Blake expected to awake in chains, if she awoke at all. Instead, she found herself tucked up in a baby blue bed, looking up to a ceiling covered in glow-in-the-dark stars. She groped for the switch to the bedside lamp, and nearly yelled out as its light revealed Cardin sat opposite, almost nodding off.

“Mm?” he mumbled groggily, rubbing his eyes. “Oh, you’re awake.”

Feeling a distinct soreness in her head, Blake set a hand to examine, only to find, along with having been slipped into some pyjamas, that her bow had been taken away. There was no way Cardin hadn't seen her eyes.

She looked at him. “Are you angry?”

Cardin stared at her ears, his expression difficult to read. “No,” he said. “Not really.”

“But...I’m a Faunus.”

“Yeah,” he said. “But you’re strong, and you fought against the White Fang. That’s who they were, right? The guys in the masks?”

Blake nodded.

“I figured,” Cardin said, leaning back in his chair. “Another reason I don’t care so much is, well...you didn’t abandon me. Even when I ran into the club, you didn’t just vanish. That means a lot.”

Come to think of it, why _didn’t_ she run? With proper application of her Semblance, she might have been able to hide from the pursuers, certainly a lot better than she could straight-up fight them. Was it just the adrenaline of the fight messing with her thinking? Or did she actually trust Cardin to pull through?

Personally, she doubted it was the latter, but she wasn’t about to tell Cardin that.

“So, uh...where are we now?” she said, trying to change the subject. “It doesn’t look like Beacon or a prison, at least.”

“Nope. You wanna be picky, we’re in an apartment sorta near Forever Fall. You wanna be _real_ picky…” Cardin trailed off, looking sheepishly around the bedroom. “Well, this was my old room, back when I lived with my dad. Like, my _really_ old room. Guess he uses it as a guest room these days.”

And that would have been Blake’s first guess—she certainly didn’t see much Cardin in it. There was the bed, of course, a windowsill with the blinds closed (no light—was it still the same day?), your usual collection of bedroom furniture, and a dark wooden door over to the right. The only clue that it might have once belonged to baby Cardin was the colour, but even then, was blue his thing?

_Better question, why do I care about what Cardin’s favourite colour was as a kid? Focus, Blake!_

“So,” she began, Faunus ears twitching at the sound of distant cars below, “what happened to the White Fang?”

“I beat ‘em up,” Cardin said, and laughed when Blake sent him a dirty look. “Okay, okay, not alone. I got those twins to lend a hand.”

“The ones from the club?” Blake frowned. “They’re only loyal to Junior and money.”

“Well, I’m good for the latter, so when I made an offer they jumped right in.” Cardin scratched his chin. “Maybe they were bored, too. I dunno.”

“Odd. Though...you didn’t exactly answer my question.”

“Oh, right. Once we finished the stragglers, the twins said they’d take care of the bodies.” Cardin shivered. “Had these sick grins on their faces, too. Those White Fang’ll get what’s coming, that’s for damned sure.”

“And that’s it?”

“Well, yeah. I hauled you over my shoulder and headed for my dad’s place. Thought about a hospital instead, but, y’know, we’re probably still wanted.”

Blake pursed her lips. “I’m surprised you didn't just leave me.”

“Eh?” Cardin said, raising an eyebrow. “Why would I do that?”

“The White Fang were obviously there for me,” Blake pointed out. “You probably could have escaped if you ran.”

“Could’ve,” Cardin admitted, “but if they got their hands on you, I figured I’d be next.”

“Was that all?”

Cardin shifted in his seat. “Well...hate to say it, but I don’t know shit about being on the run, and I’m not good for contacts, either. Way I figure it, hunting down that hacker asshole’d be a lot harder without you.”

Blake looked to the side. “What, do I have to say something nice about you, too?”

“Why break the habit of a lifetime?” Cardin remarked, grinning. “But no, I don’t really care what you think. Though I’ll take a ‘thank you’ for dragging your ass to safety.”

“Then...thanks, Cardin,” Blake muttered. “Though I should thank your father, too. Was he really okay with you bringing me here?”

Cardin blinked. “I, uh, don’t think you want to know what the first thing he said was.”

“Let me guess, racist?”

“Nooo, he’s alright with Faunus, for some reason.” Cardin sighed. “If you really wanna know, you can ask him later. For now, he’s at work.”

Blake shook her head. “We can’t afford to hang around. Who knows what the hacker might do while we’re—ow!”

While trying to pull herself out of bed, an intense pain jolted down through Blake’s spine. Cardin, after walking over to her bedside, pushed her back down with a surprisingly gentle touch.

“Not so fast, cat,” he said. “Charles said you need a couple days rest, minimum.”

Blake struggled, but right now, she felt weak as a kitten. “Guh! Who the hell is Charles?”

“My dad’s boyfriend,” said Cardin. “And since he’s a doctor, maybe stop trying to punch me out, you idiot.”

Already exhausted from her prior efforts, Blake sank into the bed. “What does that make you, my nurse?”

“Unfortunately,” Cardin admitted, stepping back. “Dad and Charles both work, so I couldn’t ask them to do it. That, and getting someone else in might be a security risk or something.”

Blake groaned. “Did I die and go to hell?”

“Hey, I can leave you alone if you want—it’d sure be easier on me.” He crossed his arms. “Good luck going to the bathroom, though. Or fetching anything.”

Blake scrunched her eyes shut. “God, don’t tell me I have a bedpan.”

“No, but you’ve got painkillers and a living crutch, so I’d say that’s better.”

“Can I rate my stay afterwards?”

“Sure, give us five tuna out of five.” Cardin shook his head, heading towards the exit. “And speaking of food, I’m going to the kitchen. Want a bowl of cream or something?”

Blake glared. “I’m not. A cat.”

“Yeah, whatever. Answer the question.”

“Buttered toast and water,” she grumbled. “Try not to burn it.”

Cardin casually gave her the finger as he left, then closed the door behind him. In truth, Blake was actually in the mood for some fish, but in the state she was, maybe simple foods would be better. That, and any mention of tuna on her end would make the cat thing go on soooo much longer.

_Ugh, this is going to be my whole week, isn’t it?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aha, bet you weren't expecting this, were you?
> 
> As I posted in the comments before, I don't care much for RWBY anymore—after Volume Three, I kinda zoned out on it. That said, I think some of the ideas in this fic are worth exploring, and since this is a pre-Volume Two canon divergent fic, I've got a lot of space to do what I want.
> 
> That, and leaving things unfinished is just bad practice.
> 
> Anyway, I'm not gonna make any promises for further updates, but I'm going to attempt for a chapter a fortnight at least (that's one chapter per two weeks for you Americans.) So, y'know, if you wanna keep tabs on this fic, you might wanna bookmark it or something.
> 
> That's all for now. Toodles.


	4. Criminal

The events of the past few hours were difficult to parse. Cardin had brought her the toast and water, then promptly left her be, saying to shout if she needed something. After that...she supposed she must have fallen asleep? She didn’t remember slipping off after eating, but next she knew, light poured through gaps in the blinds, and she didn’t feel quite as ridiculously weak as before. Through her now open bedroom door, she heard the sound of distant TV chatter, and grunts of exertion from the same room.

Of course, as soon as she decided to investigate, her legs gave way under her, ending in a thump of her own as she slammed down into the laminate floor. Her aura prevented damage, thankfully, but the pain remained, forcing a yelp from her lips. To her chagrin, Cardin popped his head in a moment later, sighing at the sight.

“Said a couple days, not  _ hours _ ,” he said, walking over. Still in control of her arms, Blake used them to wave him off. Partly because he was Cardin, and partly because, well…

“For dust’s sake, put a shirt on,” Blake said, painfully sitting up against a wall. “And I can get back in bed on my own!”

Cardin looked down to his rippling muscles, frowning. “Hm? Oh, right. I’ll be sure to be fully dressed next time you almost kill yourself.”

Nevertheless, whether out of curiosity, respect for her wishes or plain cruelty, Cardin stepped back and watched Blake weakly pull herself back onto the bed, wincing as her spine and legs both flared up from the effort. By the time she finally made it, she’d worked up a sweat.

She looked over to Cardin. “See? I can do it.”

“You sure can,” he said flatly, shaking his head. “But whatever, it’s your life. You wanna crawl to the bathroom, be my guest.”

“Not going to force your help on me this time?”

“What’s the point? Your aura’ll stop you dying, and believe it or not, getting punched in the face isn’t a hobby of mine.”

Blake pulled herself upright in the bed. “That would be nudism, right?”

“You’d see more at the beach, cat,” he retorted. “Besides, I was weightlifting, and there’s no AC in here. What do you want from me?”

Blake snorted. “What kind of nurse lifts weights?”

“I dunno, what kind of cat doesn’t land on her feet?”

“Not a cat,” Blake snarled.

“And I’m not a nurse, so we’ll call it even.” He headed for the door, rolling his shoulders. “See ya in a few hours, I guess.”

“Wait.”

Cardin turned back, raising an eyebrow. Blake sighed.

“Once you’ve put a shirt on, I want you to show me around the apartment,” she said, pushing a stray lock of hair aside. “At the very least, I need to know possible escape routes.”

“Not just gonna crawl everywhere, then?”

She grimaced. “I’m not stupid. If I keep doing things on my own, I risk extending my recovery time, and that could spell disaster for us both. So yes, I’m asking for help.”

Cardin hummed. “Say ‘please’.”

“What?”

“I’m looking after you, but I’m not your servant. So how about asking me nicely for once?”

“Pfft, that’s rich coming from you.” Blake laid her head against the backrest. “I thought you didn’t care what I thought?”

“I don’t, but having you mind your Ps and Qs around me is too funny to pass up.” He smirked. “Call it payback for that mouse Faunus and her kid.”

“Oh, was it straining to act like a decent human being for once?”

“Says the girl refusing basic politeness.”

For a moment, they stared at each other, waiting to see who would break first. Eventually, Blake looked away, lip curled in disgust. “Fine.  _ Please _ help me around the apartment, Cardin. When you’re dressed.”

Cardin grinned. “See? Was that so hard?”

She looked back. “Yes. Yes it was.”

“Mm. Fair.” He exited, giving a wave as he went. “Getting changed. Shout if you need me.”

When she was sure Cardin was gone (and out of earshot), Blake buried her head in the pillow, groaning.

_ How did it come to this? _

* * *

The apartment tour didn’t take long—at least, not if you considered Blake was basically being dragged everywhere. Save for the bedrooms, it was all open plan, with the living room, kitchen and dining room all occupying one continuous space, one which smelled pleasantly of lavender from all the scented candles. One thing she couldn’t see was Cardin living here—it seemed a bit small for a family.

Then again, evidence was abundant. All around the apartment were photos of Cardin, some of him alone as a kid, and some paired with a man in his early thirties perhaps, sporting a matching jawline and eyes, but longer, darker brown hair—his father, presumably. Likewise, there were a few pictures of his father and another man, this one considerably shorter and bespectacled.

“Charles and my dad,” Cardin explained on their way around. She didn’t ask, but he must have seen where she was looking. “They’ve been together...I dunno, a couple years now?”

“They look happy,” Blake noted, a hint of envy in her voice.

“Seems that way. They’re both huge nerds, so they get on.” He nodded over to the bookshelf, positively overflowing with nonfiction and fiction both. “Sometimes they just get a book out and read together. It’s weird.”

Blake rolled her eyes. “Of course  _ you’d _ think so.”

“Well yeah, I’m dyslexic.”

Blake blinked. “What?”

“That thing where you can’t read good.”

“I know what it is, I just…” Blake trailed off.

“I prefer movies,” said Cardin, breaking the awkward pause. “But whatever. Let’s move on.”

By the time they’d finished the tour, short as it was, Blake was ready for a sit down. At her request, Cardin helped her onto the living room sofa, though after doing so, he seemed to be at a loss.

“So,” he said, “anything else?”

“Hm…” Blake looked back to the bookshelf. “Could you get the book on the far right, please? Black spine, Bai Huang?”

Cardin strolled over to the bookshelf, pausing for a moment to make sure he got the right one. When he  _ did _ pull the book out, he frowned.

“You sure about this one?” he asked, turning it over in his hands. “It’s a doorstop.”

“I read fast. Besides, I’ve got nothing but time on my hands. What else is there?”

Cardin hummed. “We could watch a movie.”

“Like, together?” Blake’s Faunus ears twitched. “I doubt our tastes overlap.”

“Well, what do you like?” Cardin asked, putting the book back for the time being.

“Romance, period dramas, maybe some fantasy.” She paused. “Comedy is a sometimes food.”

Cardin took a seat on the sofa, albeit on the seat furthest away from Blake’s. “Dunno about period dramas, but the rest are fine. Lesse…” He picked up the remote and brought up Dustflix, searching through the various offerings. “Oh, this one’s good. You seen it?”

“I don’t watch many films, so no.” Blake squinted at the screen. “I think I’ve seen ads for it, though.”

“It’s good,” Cardin said again. “Bit of adventure, bit of romance, bit of comedy. Fun for the whole family.”

“Any Faunus in it?”

Cardin looked off to the side. “Uh...I dunno. Maybe in the crowd shots?”

“So no main characters, then?”

“Nah. They’re all human.”

Blake sighed. “Typical.”

“What’s it matter, anyway? If the actors are good, who cares?”

“So if the only roles humans got were crowd shots and villains, you wouldn’t care?”

Cardin snorted. “Like that would ever happen. Besides, I know a bunch of films with Faunus leads.”

“Can you name any that aren’t about crime, being a Faunus, or being a Faunus in the world of crime?”

“Well, uh…” Cardin scratched his head. “Not their fault that most Faunus are thieves.”

Blake buried her head in her palms, groaning. “Dust, you’re insufferable! Do you even listen to yourself?”

“Prove me wrong then!” Cardin demanded, waving the remote at Blake. “Everyone knows the White Fang are responsible for like, all the crime here lately, and  _ they’re _ all Faunus. That’s just how it works.”

“Fine.” Blake leaned towards him, her gaze full of steel. “Let’s assume, just for a moment, that you’re right. The White Fang are somehow responsible for _literally_ _all crime in Vale_.”

Cardin shrank back. “Uh…”

“That means that all the other crimes that aren’t related to racists—you know, your average murders, muggings and such—aren’t occurring, and the only crimes committed are against bigots. Doesn’t that make for a net decrease of crime, unless everyone getting robbed before was also a bigot?”

Cardin gritted his teeth. “Gimme a break. They aren’t literally  _ all _ the criminals. I was exaggerating.”

Blake pressed even closer. “Oh, don’t worry, there’s more. Why do the White Fang do what they do? Do you remember?”

By this point, Cardin was basically laid flat against the armrest. “R-remember? The hell are you talking about? They’re just assholes!”

“Mm mm, wrong, Cardin,” Blake said, shaking her head. “In the Faunus Rights Revolution, we won our right to live in all of the kingdoms, not just Menagerie.”

“So what? You can still do that!”

“Yes, but we were  _ also _ promised fair treatment, which we never got! Shops can get away with not serving Faunus or refuse to hire them, attacks on Faunus are rarely investigated, and bullying of Faunus at Beacon is entirely ignored!” She narrowed her eyes. “I’m sure even  _ you _ know that much.”

A bead of sweat rolled down Cardin’s forehead. “Well, okay, that...makes sense. But why do the White Fang always go with burning things down and kicking in shins? Why couldn’t they just—”

“Protest peacefully?” Blake cut in. “ _ We did _ . When our rights were withheld from us, even after the revolution, the White Fang became a center for peaceful protest. The fact that you never heard about it goes to show how that  _ didn’t work _ .”

“So, what, you’d prefer to be treated like criminals?”

“We already were!” 

Blake stayed above Cardin for a moment, her breaths quick and panicked. Eventually, she pushed herself off and fell back, exhausted.

“We already were,” she repeated softly, closing her eyes to mask the tears.

She heard the sofa creak as Cardin sat up. “So you were in the White Fang, huh?”

For a moment, Blake freezed up, before realising her situation. What was he going to do, tell the cops? “Yes,” she said. “I was.”

“Why’d you leave?”

Blake pulled herself up, wiping her tears. “Because it became less about helping Faunus and more about hurting humans. Stealing from bigots is one thing, but ignoring collateral damage just to make our lives easier? I couldn’t do it.”

Cardin looked down to the floor. “You know, there’s one thing I still don’t get.”

As easy a target as that was, for once, Blake didn’t feel like snarking at him. Instead, she simply said, “Yes?”

“Why don’t you hate humans?”

Blake ran a hand through her hair. “Honestly? Sometimes I do. Sometimes I see Tawny’s shop get vandalised, or Velvet get bullied, and I think, ‘hey, why didn’t we just execute every human at the end of the war?’”

Cardin’s head snapped up. “Wait, seriously?”

“Seriously.” Blake clasped her hands, bringing them to her chest. “But, on the other hand, I can see the potential for humanity. I can see us fighting side by side against the Grimm, working together to halt the unending tide. And well, if we don’t stand united, then...divided we will fall. That’s what I think.”

When Blake finished speaking, there was a pause as they both thought about what had just happened. Then, Cardin got up, fetched the book from before, and handed it to Blake.

“Here,” he said. “Like you asked.”

Despite herself, Blake gave a wry smile. “No movie, then?”

“No.” He walked off towards the front door. “I’ll be back soon.”

“What? Where are you going?”

“Out.”

_ SLAM _ .

* * *

Blake  _ could _ have occupied her time worrying about what Cardin was up to, but in her current condition, there was really no point. Instead, she let herself sink into fiction. How many times had she done this? How many times had she abandoned her worries to let her mind embrace a world far from her own? How many times had Adam told her to stop living in fairytales?

Blake’s Faunus ears twitched. Someone was coming.

“Afternoon, miss.”

Reluctantly abandoning her read, Blake looked back. Dressed in a bathrobe and slippers, Cardin’s father regarded her thoughtfully.

“Um...good afternoon, sir,” Blake replied. “I’m Blake. Thank you very much for taking me in.”

Cardin’s father smiled warmly. “You are quite welcome. Oh, and please, call me Jay. Everyone does.” He started heading for the kitchen, then stopped. “Ah, where are my manners? Would you like anything, Blake?”

“Oh, well...could I have a glass of water, please?”

“Are you sure? I could make you some tea, if you like,” Jay offered, already headed for the kettle. “I’m making some for myself, so it’s no trouble.”

When was the last time she’d had a good cup of tea? Too long, that was for sure. “I would love some tea, thank you,” she said.

“A woman after my own heart—just don’t tell Charles I said that.” Jay set the kettle going and leaned on the countertop, looking over to Blake. “You know, I’m surprised,” he said finally.”

Blake braced herself. “You are?”

“Mmhm. Cardin’s friends tend to be a bit...rowdier,” Jay said diplomatically. “More energy drinks and video games than tea and books. Know what I mean?”

Blake smiled. “I can imagine.”

“And a Faunus, too—that was the big surprise,” he murmured. If not for her enhanced hearing, Blake might have missed it above the rising whistle of the kettle. “In any case, I gather you two are in a bit of trouble?”

“It’s true.” Blake sighed. “Make that a lot of trouble, actually.”

“So it goes for hunters,” said Jay. “Milk? Sugar?”

“Milk, please. No sugar.”

Once Jay had finished preparing the tea, he headed over to the sofa, carefully setting down a fine china mug by Blake’s side.

“May I join you?” he asked. “Don’t feel pressured to say yes, by the way. If you would prefer to be alone, I won’t take offence.”

“No no, it’s fine!” Blake blurted out. “I wouldn’t mind the company.”

With a weary sigh, Jay took the seat by Blake’s side, his mug resting on a matching saucer. “Charles likes to have the TV on when he wakes up, but me? I prefer a bit of peace and quiet, and maybe a book or two. Oh, Charles is my boyfriend, by the way.”

“Yes, Cardin told me,” Blake said, eyes drawn to the photos. “I owe him thanks, too, since he was apparently my doctor.”

“You’ll have to wait on that I’m afraid, since we don’t live together.” Jay took a sip of his tea. “Though he’ll be around in a bit to check on you. Speaking of, are you feeling alright? Any better or worse?”

“A little better, but not enough to walk without help.”

“Charles said you were lucky—if that hit had been just a little further up, you might have had serious brain damage.” He frowned. “Then again, I suppose being temporarily paralysed isn’t ideal either. Maybe ‘lucky’ is the wrong word.”

“I can’t say I’ve had much good luck in my life,” Blake admitted. “At this point, I’ll take what I can get.”

For a moment, the two sat in silence. Blake gave her tea an experimental sip, but only ended up burning her tongue.

_ Great, like I’m not injured enough already. _

“You know,” Jay began, setting his tea down, “I was certainly surprised when Cardin turned up at my doorstep, with you slung across his shoulders. Do you know why?”

Blake wiggled her ears. “I can hazard a guess.”

“That obvious, hm?” Jay paused, leaning forward and resting his arms on his knees. “He told me you were an acquaintance from Beacon, and now you’re working together. Is that right?”

Blake frowned. “Technically, yes.”

“He never told me  _ what _ you were doing exactly, but given your injuries and requests to keep public services out, I’ve got a few theories.”

“And you still took us in?”

“Cardin and I…” Jay trailed off, his expression regretful. “I suppose you could say that we don’t see eye to eye on many things. But, at the end of the day, he  _ is _ my son, and I love him. If he needs help, it wouldn’t be right to turn him away.”

“And me?”

Jay shrugged. “You were injured, and Cardin actually bothered to carry you here. At that point, I was checking for engagement rings.”

Blake winced. “Please tell me you’re joking.”

“Only partly. I’m sure you’ve noticed, but my son can be...well, rather self-centered. If he helped you of his own accord, that says a lot.”

“He needs me, that’s all,” Blake said bitterly. “If not for that, he’d leave me for dead.”

“Perhaps. Even then, though, for him to recognise he actually  _ needs _ a Faunus…” Jay trailed off again. “I think you’re having an influence on him.”

“A good influence?”

“Only time will tell.” Jay reached for his teacup, taking a long drink. “But if it means being less like his mother, that’s good in my book.”

Blake tried to stop herself, but the curiosity was too great. “Cardin never mentioned a mother.”

Jay finished off the rest of his tea, stood up, and headed over to the kitchen area. “I’m not surprised,” he said solemnly, already getting to work washing the dishes. “It’s not a comfortable subject for him. Or for me.”

Blake bit her lip. “I understand. I’m sorry.”

“No need to apologise—it was me who brought it up, after all,” said Jay. “Needless to say, his mother and I are no longer together, and the fact that she was who she was...well, it had a big impact on Cardin. I’m not saying it excuses all the things he says and does, but it at least gives context.”

“Oh.” Blake thought to her own parents back home—were they threatened by the White Fang, too?

“Cardin might tell you one day—at least, if he starts calling you a ‘friend’ instead of an acquaintance.” Jay cracked his neck. “Would you like anything to eat, by the way?”

“Hm? Oh, not right now, thank you.”

“Alright then.” Jay looked around, frowning. “Say, where  _ is _ Cardin, anyway? Is he asleep?”

“He left about...half an hour ago, I think?” Blake frowned. “I don’t know where to, though.”

Jay’s expression turned serious. “Did something happen?”

“I…”

_ How much should I tell him? He seems sympathetic to the Faunus, but how sympathetic? Then, again, I told all of this to Cardin. It’s not like Jay’s any worse. _

“We got into an argument,” she said finally. “About Faunus rights and the White Fang. Once it was over, he just...walked out.”

“Gone to think, I’d wager—and I can guess where.” Jay tapped a finger against the worktop. “I wouldn’t worry, anyway. He’s a tough egg.”

“I’m more worried about him leading people here.”

“Hm? Oh, no, I doubt he’s left the apartment building. He’ll be in the common room downstairs, I’d think. He tends to go there when he’s stressed.”

A knock at the door. “And that’ll be him now, I’ll wager,” said Jay. “Just a moment.”

Fearing the worst, Blake reached for Gambol Shroud on reflex, only to realise it had been taken off her. Great.

“It’s me,” came Cardin’s voice. “Left my keycard.”

Jay sighed and unlocked the door. On the other side was, predictably, Cardin, albeit a little worse for wear. And dragged behind him, out cold or dead, was a Faunus in a White Fang mask.

“So Blake,” Cardin said, ignoring his father’s look of shock, “how’s an interrogation sound?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was posted on the night of the 21st, so I'm totally counting it as on time. Well, mostly, anyway.
> 
> So! This chapter was a real bugger to write. It's where a lot of racial tensions finally came to a head, and as a white person, I am always going to be a little out of my depth. Nevertheless, I've tried to write the issue with research and respect, and on top of that, the issue of race is slightly simpler in the world of Remnant. At least, it's a lot easier to see how the Faunus are getting one hell of a raw deal.
> 
> I always value feedback on my work, but I would especially like to hear your thoughts on this chapter, especially if you're a POC. Did I write it okay? Are there things I could have improved?
> 
> In any case, it's late, so I'll leave the notes alone for now. Once again, expect the next chapter in two weeks or so.
> 
> Laters.
> 
> EDIT: Due to issues planning out this chapter, along with a slew of life stuff that needs doing, this chapter will be delayed a week. In other words, expect it on the 12th of August.


End file.
